Speed-evener.



W. C. BOY.

SPEED EVENER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26. 191B.

1 fi fijifi Patented Dec. 24, 1918;

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WITNESSES ATTOR N EY numums rlrlus ca. mmumn. wuumcmu u c WILL C. BOY. OF PINEY FLATS. TENNESSEE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2 1, 1918.

Application filed April 26 1918. Serial No. 230,985.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILL C. BOY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Piney Flats, in the county of Sullivan and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Speed-Eveners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machine elements, and more especially to cranks; and the object of the same is to produce an iniproved means for connecting the crank with the shaft which it is to drive, whereby irregular speed of rotation applied to the hand crank Will be communicated to the shaft in such manner that the latter will be rotated at a regular rate of speed.

This object is carried out by inserting a certain type of speed evener between the crank and the shaft, and details of its construction will be found in the following specification, wherein reference is made to the attached drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of this device,

Fig. 2 a vertical section, and

Fig. 3 a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Let us assume that the shaft 1 is the power shaft of a cream separator which, as is well known, must be driven at a high rate of speed and steadily rather than by jerks. Also it is well known to those who have observed the fact that many operators will turn a hand crank unevenly, moving the hand and handle more or less rapidly in its are at some points during the path of its complete revolution. Whether the shaft 1 be connected directly or indirectly with the mechanism to be rotated, we will assume that, whatever said mechanism, it is undesirable that the rotary power generated by rotating the crank be communicated irregularly to said mechanism; and it is therefore the purpose of the present invention to interpose a connection between these elements which will to an extent even up the unevennesses 0r irregularities in speed.

The shaft 1 is journaled in suitable bearings, and passes at. one point through the hub 2 of a fixed disk 3, the latter in the present instance having ratchet teeth around its edge. Loosely mounted on said shaft is the hub 5 of a drum 6 which is open at one end and surrounds said ratchet teeth, and at an appropriate point in said open end of the drum is pivoted a pawl 7 thrown into active engagement with the ratchet teeth by means of a spring 8.

Fixed to the shaft adjacent the disk, as by means of a key 10, is a ratchet wheel 11 whose teeth face in the opposite direction from those numbered 4. Surrounding this ratchet wheel is a cup 12 open at one end like the drum, and at an appropriate point in the open end of the cupis pivoted a pawl 13 thrown into normal'engagement with the ratchet teeth of the wheelll by a spring 11. The construction is exactly the same as that of the drum and disk, excepting that all parts are on a smaller scale and the teeth and pawls face in the opposite'direction. The hub 15 of said cup loosely surrounds the shaft 1, and a long and stout coiled spring, much like a clock spring, herein numbered 16 is connected at its inner end at 17 to the hub 15, and at its outer end at 18 to the drum 6. Finally the crank is composed of an arm 19 projecting radially and integrally from the drum 6 and having a crank-handle 20 at its outer end.

With this construction, when now the crank is turned in the usual direction, the drum rotates to the right and its pawl 7 slips idly over the ratchet teeth 1. Tension is soon imparted to the spring 16, and is communicated thereby to the hub 15 of the Cup 12, whose pawl 13 engaging the ratchet wheel 11, conveys the rotary movement to the shaft 1 to which this ratchet wheel is keyed. It matters not in which direction the convolutions of the spring are wound, butI would prefer to have them ample and to have the spring rather stout. If wound in one direction, it will be obvious that power thus applied will draw on the spring, and if wound in the other direction power thus applied will push on the spring. In either case, however, it is quite obvious now, that the hand-crank may overrun the rotation of the shaft, or in other words that the operator may rotate the crank more rapidly than the device will turn the shaft 1. By this I mean to say that if the operator should speed up, even in a whole or partial revolution, the too rapid motion of the crank and drum would carry the outer end 18 of the spring a little forward of its inner end 17, with the effect that such inner end and the collar would drag and the shaft would not be rotated with an accelerated motion. On the other hand, if the operator should slow down on his revolution of the crank handle, the opposite result would take place. Assuming that the operator of the mechanism has built up a rapid rotation of the shaft 1, if now he should release the crank entirely or stop its rotation, the only result would be that the shaft" and the ratchet wheel would rotate idly within this driving mechanism, the teeth of said ratchet passing under the tip of the pawl 18. The parts are extremely simple and economical so that the structure is not likely to get out of order and needs little attention and oiling. I would not be limited to details further than as set forth below, and the proportions and materials are unimportant.

What is claimed as new is a v 1. In a speed evener, the combination with a bearing, a disk carried thereby and having ratchet teeth around its edge, a shaft journaled through said bearing, and a ratchet wheel fast on said shaft with its teeth facing in the opposite direction from those first mentioned; of a driving element loosely i mounted on said shaft, a pawl therein engaging the teeth of the disk, a cup whose body surrounds said ratchet wheel, a pawl in its body engagingthe teeth of said wheel, and a spring connecting said element and cup.

2. A speed evener substantially as herein described comprising a shaft to be driven, a disk thereon and having ratchet teeth around its edge, a ratchet wheel fast on the shaft with its teeth facing in the opposite direction from those on said disk, a cup inclosing said wheel and having a pawl engaging its teeth, a drum loose on the shaft around the cup, a coiled spring connected at its extremities with said drum and cup, a crank handle projecting from said drum for rotating it manually in one direction, and a pawl in the drum engaging the teeth in the disk for pre-v venting the rotation of the drum in the opposite direction.

3. In a speed evener, the combination with a bearing, a disk carried thereby and having ratchet teeth around its edge, a shaft journaled through said bearing, and a ratchet wheel fast on said shaft with its teeth facing in the opposite direction from those firstmentioned; of a drum whose hub is loosely mounted on said shaft and whose body surrounds said disk, a pawl therein engaging the teeth of the disk, a cup whose hub is loosely mounted on said shaft and whose body surrounds said ratchet wheel, a pawl in its body engaging the teeth of said wheel,

yielding connections between said drum and cup, and means for rotating the-drum by hand.

4. In a-speed evener, the combination with a bearing, a disk carried thereby and having ratchet teeth around its edge, a shaft journaled through said bearing, and a ratchet wheel fast on said shaft with its teeth facing in the opposite direction from those first mentioned; of a drum whose hub is loosely mounted on said shaft and whose body surrounds said disk, a pawl therein engaging the teeth of the disk, a cup whose hub is loosely mounted on said shaft and whose body surrounds said ratchet wheel, a pawl. in its body engaging the teeth of said wheel, a convolute Spring whose inner end is attached to the hub of the cup and whose outer end is attached to the body of said drum, and a crank projecting radially from said drum and having an operating handle, as described. r

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILL C. BOY. Witnesses: i

J. B. WOLFE, S. R. WOLFE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

